MOSCOW, March 8. /TASS/. During the special operation in Ukraine, Russia obtained documents proving that Ukrainian biological laboratories located near Russian borders worked on development of components of biological weapons, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in a statement Tuesday.
"We confirm the facts, discovered during the special military operation in Ukraine, of the emergency cleanup by the Kiev regime of traces of the military biological program, carried out by Kiev with funding from the US Department of Defense," the statement reads. "Documents were obtained from employees of Ukrainian biological laboratories about emergency disposal of particularly dangerous pathogens of plague, anthrax, tularemia, cholera and other deadly diseases, carried out on February 24. In particular, we are talking about the Ukrainian Health Ministry order on prompt disposal of all stockpiles of dangerous pathogens, sent to all bio laboratories."
"The obtained documentation is currently being scrupulously analyzed by specialists of Nuclear, Chemical and Biological Protection troops. However, it is already possible to make a conclusion that the laboratories located in direct proximity from Russian borders worked on development of components of biological weapons," the diplomat noted.
The emergency disposal of particularly dangerous pathogens, carried out on February 24, was necessary in order to prevent the revelation of facts of violation of Article 1 of the Biological Weapons Convention by Ukraine and the US, Zakharova said.
"This information confirms the validity of the complaints that we’ve made repeatedly within the context of implementation of the Biological Weapons Convention in regards to the military biological activity of the US and its allies on the post-Soviet territory," she noted.
"In order to alleviate these concerns, we consider engaging mechanisms, outlined in Articles 5 and 6 of the Biological Weapons Convention, which stipulate that member states must consult with each other in resolving all issues regarding the goal of the Convention or implementation of its clauses, and cooperate in investigation of all possible violation of obligations under the Convention," Zakharova added.